OCTOBER 2004 - Finn

weather mark. USA is again doing well in 6th.
GBR is 16th. On the reach USA gets a RR42
yellow flag and has to do a 720. GBR passes
three boats. On the run GBR passes 11 boats
to be second behind IRL. USA is 12th. On
the next beat the wind builds to 20, BEL
passes GBR. On the run both pass IRL and
then duke it out the rest of the race to finish
with a big margin over the next boats ESP
and AUS. IRL fades to 9th after capsizing on
the run when the wind gusts up to 29 knots.
Race 4 Wind 25 knots from 025. It is now
five o’clock and everyone is tired. IRL starts
out well and is leading at the first mark with
GBR, BEL and CRO right behind. On the run
IRL swamps his boat and drops to 6th, GBR
takes the lead with BEL and POL right behind.
GBR goes on to win the race with BEL
sometimes taking the lead. POL and IRL
battle it out behind them.
As one wanders around the Finn yard one
learns things that race course security keeps
us from seeing. On the second run of the
race where BEL was 5th, it turns out he had
a 150 meter lead and rolled it in, recovered
in 3rd, passed GBR to regain the lead and
going into the finish BEL rolls it in again. He
wasn’t the only one capsizing. POL dumped
and lost 8 boats. DEN got a control line in
the mainsheet block and dumped.
Today, the same strong Meltemi and more
losses of control. Only the Finn and Yngling
were sent racing because it was their media
day on live coverage. All other classes were
kept ashore. Why, when the elite sailors of
the world are here, were their no other races
Real sailors (read Finns) went sailing.
Day three
Race 5 Wind 20 to 25 knots from 000 but
there are lulls and 30 degree shifts. The real
Jonas Christen from DEN we all got to know
in Lauderdale finally showed up, picked up
an early lefty and was gone, extending his
lead on every leg. Behind him ARG, FRA and
ESP had a great duel for the whole race.
GBR was 10 in the early legs but moved up
on the last legs and actually took 20 meters
out of ARG in the last 150 meters before the
finish. The real BEL also showed up again
with another solid race. It is interesting that
there are 20 sailors here who could win any
given race by a good margin but the mental
pressures keep them from their potential.
Many of them admit they don’t know which
of their beings will show up in any given race.
POL was way back but he had CRO to
contend with which made life difficult for POL.
At the end of the fleet EST and ITA were 600
meters back and were locked in a hammer
and tongs battle that the TV focused on. SLO
had lost his mast on the first run right in front
of EST who had nowhere to go and dumped
in order to avoid a high speed crash.
Race 6. Wind 15 to 25 knots from 015 with
30 degree shifts. GBR starts at the RC end
and POL goes for the pin. POL is a foot early,
learns that he was over midway up the beat
and sails in early. The real IRL shows up and
takes the early lead. GBR passes him on the
run and then opens up more on every leg.
BRA and GRE get among the leaders and
have good races for a change. The real BEL
is also racing in this race and moves more
toward a medal. I didn’t think his mind was
there but he is proving me wrong although
he says the other not so hot BEL is still there.
DEN is not quite as hot as in race 5 but is
going well.
Tomorrow is a lay day so I’ll sleep and then
come in to repair the EST rudder and tiller
which are badly bent. Then to see ancient
Athens and some of the other events.
Day four
After yesterday and today everyone is tired
and in need of a rest day. It is far from over:
GBR is leading but has a DSQ and a 9th.
ESP has a worst 8th. POL has an OCS and
an 11th. BEL has a 19th and a 12th. As a
guess either GBR or POL will win but never
underestimate BEL. I’m not sure ESP can
stay with the experience or toughness of BEL,
GBR and POL.
Day five
When I arrived at the venue, all the classes
that were held ashore yesterday were out.
Their only problem was the wind. The old
Meltemi was fighting with the seabreeze
mechanism and the live TV feed showed
lessons in patience.
Carl Eichenlaub, the US Team boatwright
helped repair the EST rudder and tiller. By
the time it was done EST (Imre Taveter who
also slept late) showed up.
The four Groups need some adjustment. BEL
is back and goes from GIII to GII; if he
continues the same form as the last two days,
he’ll go to GI with GBR and POL. NZL and
TUR go from GII to GIII as they don’t show
the ability claw their way up the fleet. FRA
and ESP are at the head of GII; they spent
a lot of time training together and it shows.
FRA has only been sailing the Finn for two
years which is an impressive performance.
He is an engineer and is still disturbed by
heavy air downwind.
Day six
“It is easy to loose respect for yourself as
well as the opposition in this place.”
“I’m sailing as if it is my fourth day in a Finn.
I hadn’t capsized all year and now twice in
this regatta.”
Two good races today in a light pre-seabreeze
and a moderate real seabreeze. The kind of
micro Meltemi of the last three days has gone;
it wasn’t the real Meltemi which can blow
hard for weeks.
With today’s results, the Olympic Regatta is
taking shape. GBR is moving toward the Gold
with an ability to sail up through the fleet.
ESP is moving toward the Silver with a
consistent mistake free series. Six have a
medal chance: POL, BEL, AUS and CRO
have a shot at Silver or Bronze; FRA and
GRE have a shot at Bronze. Tomorrow will
sort this out. Membership in the four Groups
has to be modified again. AUS is solid in
GroupII with today’s first race. POL is again
solid in GroupI with today’s second race. BRA
and SWE both move from GroupIV to
GroupIII.
Race 7. 6 knots building to 8 and backing
from 220 to 180. There was a cluster
something at the pin end and POL and GER
restarted. CAN, ESP, GRE, IRL and NZL
neglected to restart and were OCS. GBR had
a conservative start at the RC and had to bail
out right in a backing wind. BEL had the early
lead until GBR overtook him on the second
beat. AUS picked off a righty toward the end
of the last beat and went on to win the race.
USA was 9th until he had to do circles after
the second weather mark. ARG had a great
race going in 4th until he lost concentration
and lost 10 boats.
Race 8 The seabreeze kicked in at 1500 with
11 knots from 175. This built to 17 knots and
backed to 160. POL got a clear start and was
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